When Destiny Calls
by dustyisrusty
Summary: When Tamaki and Haruhi both end up trapped in the death game known as Sword Art Online, they may have no one else to depend on but each other.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! So this is my first fanfic on this account (I had several other accounts, but you don't get to know what they are). I'll try to make everything as accurate to both animes as possible; however, I might slip up in places. No one is perfect. So, that being said, NO FLAMES PLEASE! Constructive criticism welcome :)**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own** _ **Ouran High School Host Club**_ **or** _ **Sword Art Online**_ **. I only own the basic plot.**

 **(Also, yes, the first chapter title is the same as it is in SAO. No need to point it out. Lol.)**

* * *

Chapter One: The World of Swords

It was a Saturday when the highly anticipated _Sword Art Online_ came out. Althought gaming wasn't really his thing, Tamaki Suoh couldn't pass up on an opportunity like this. Almost half of the students at Ouran Academy were playing _Sword Art Online_ , or SAO, today. But as far as he knew, Tamaki was the only one in the Host Club playing. He had even asked the hosts to join him; they all seemed to be "busy" that day, whatever that meant. He was also very disappointed having spent the money to get a set of nerve gear for Haruhi, only for it to probably sit somewhere in her apartment unused.

He sighed as he lay down in his bed and put the nerve gear on. "Link start!" he said. The nerve gear started up.

He was entered into a screen where he was to pick his name and avatar. "Okay..." he said. He typed in his name- Tamaki- and picked an avatar. Unlike him in real life, his avatar had longer, dark hair.

Then there he was- in the world of swords. He looked around, amazed at the sights. He knew it would be cool- he didn't think it'd be _this_ cool!

 _Well, I don't wanna just stand around doing nothing,_ he thought to himself. _I know! I'll go hunt some wolves!_

And that he did. An observer could've said that he was probably having the most fun he'd had in his life.

"Hey!" someone called.

Tamaki looked around. Behind him was another player.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," he said.

"Yeah," Tamaki said, flipping his hair to the side.

The other player smiled. "If you want some tips, I can show you."

* * *

The other player had only been playing a few hours longer than him, but he seemed to be more advanced than him already.

"Where did you learn that?!" Tamaki exclaimed. "Tell me!"

"Former beta tester," the player explained. "Been playing for a while, actually."

"Oh... I thought I was just learning super slowly! That's kind of a relief!"

"Well," the other player began, "I should probably log out. And then explain to everyone why I was gone for so long... that'll be fun."

Tamaki nodded. "Alright. See you around!"

He nodded and pulled up his menu. "Wait a sec... where's the log out button?"

"Huh? It's right here..." Tamaki pulled up his menu as well. But there was a key item missing- the log out button.

"I... I don't understand..." Panic rose within him. "WHERE'S THE LOG OUT BUTTON?! WHERE IS IT?!"

They were then teleported to the Town of Beginnings. Around him, people were saying things like, "What's going on?" and, "What happened?"

Suddenly, the sky turned red. Tamaki was shaking. "W-what's g-going on?!"

A figure appeared in the sky. "Hello, everyone," he said. "My name is Akihiko Kayaba, the creator of _Sword Art Online_."

There were still mutters among the crowd. "You've probably noticed an item missing from your menu by now- the log out button. This is no mistake."

"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!" Tamaki screamed. No one paid attention to him- they were all focused on what was happening.

Akihiko Kayaba went on. "If you die in the game, your nerve gear will send out strong radiation signals, destroying your brain, thus killing you in real life as well. If someone tries to forcibly rip the nerve gear off of you, the same will happen."

"NO!" Tamaki screamed.

"Also, I've given you all a special item. Check your inventories."

Tamaki went into his menu. "A mirror? HOW THE HECK IS A MIRROR SUPPOSED TO SOLVE ANYTHING?!"

He pulled it out of his inventory anyway. Suddenly, everyone's avatar changed. Everyone looked like their real selves. Tamaki looked in the mirror. His dark hair was now the blond it was in real life, and he now looked leaner and skinnier than his previous avatar.

"Um... hey..." the other player said. "Are you okay...?"

Tamaki turned around. "I don't know..." He stopped. "K-KASANODA?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"SUOH?!" Kasanoda exclaimed. "Why are YOU here?!"

"I wish the best of luck to all of you," Akihiko Kayaba said before disappearing.

It was silent for a moment. So silent, you could've heard a pin drop.

Then the shouting began.

* * *

 _Earlier that same day..._

Haruhi got home from the grocery store, carrying several bags. _That was a good sale,_ she thought to herself.

She put the groceries away. Afterward, she quickly realized she was bored.

 _Tamaki-senpai is playing that game today right? What was it called...? Oh, yeah,_ Sword Art Online _or something._

She went to her room. The nerve gear caught her eye. The game had been open for three hours at this point.

"Well..." Haruhi picked up the nerve gear and dusted it off. "Better late than never, I guess?"

She laid down on her bed. "Um... link start?"

At the avatar creation screen, Haruhi typed in her name and picked an avatar. The appearance wasn't too far off from her real life self- her hair was just longer and the avatar was a bit taller.

She was then entered into the game. She looked around. _Okay, I have to admit... this is kind of cool._

She debated going out to level up, but decided to stay in the Town of Beginnings for now.

Some hours later, Haruhi checked into an inn. _I think I'll log out now... Dad is probably wondering what I'm doing._ She went to her menu. _Wait... where's the log out button?_ She felt a small panic rise within her. _It's probably just a bug... it's okay... I'm okay..._

It wasn't until thirty minutes later that she was teleported to the center of town.

* * *

 _Coming: Two months have passed, and the first floor has yet to be cleared. Two-thousand players have already died. Tamaki and Haruhi encounter each other at the beginning of a boss raid...  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for being patient, I kind of have a lot going on. And school is starting soon, so I might not have much time to write in the near future, but I'll do my best!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own** _ **Ouran High School Host Club**_ **or** _ **Sword Art Online**_ **. I only kind of own the plot.**

* * *

Chapter Two: Who He Saw That Day

Kasanoda grabbed Tamaki's arm and pulled him out of the center of town.

"Hey!" Tamaki exclaimed, "What are you-?"

"We can get all the good items in the next town if we go now!" Kasanoda said. "While everyone else is freaking out..."

Tamaki looked behind him. He sighed. "Yeah... okay..."

Tamaki and Kasanoda darted toward the next town.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since the game began. Kasanoda walked down the street, looking for a good place to eat, when suddenly...

"She just went offline!" someone shouted.

"Is she okay?" someone else said.

Kasanoda looked up. "Huh?" He went over to where all the commotion was. A girl, maybe about his age, was kneeling on the ground with another player in her arms. He went closer for a better look.

When he caught sight of the offline player, his breathing hitched. "N-no way..." he said to himself. "F-Fujioka...?"

* * *

As the weeks passed, more players started going offline. They always came back an hour or so later- as Haruhi did- but it was scary to watch.

But Kasanoda never told Tamaki who he saw that day. He didn't see her again, so he started to think he may have imagined it all. Or maybe she died...

He shook the thought out of his head. _That wasn't Fujioka_ , he convinced himself. _It was just someone that LOOKED like her._

But two months into the game, after two thousand players had died, things were about to change...

* * *

Tamaki sat by himself as the boss raid was being discussed. A blue haired man named Diabel was leading it. In all honesty, he was zoning out. He knew all he needed to know, he thought, so why did he _have_ to pay attention?

However, Tamaki was half-listening when he said, "And we have someone here from the previous failed boss raid, so she probably knows a thing or two about the boss. What's your name again?"

"Haruhi," the girl said.

Tamaki widened his eyes and looked in the direction the voice came from. He could hardly believe his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak- or, maybe shout- but nothing came out.

"Haruhi," Diabel said, "What do you know about the boss?"

She thought for a moment. "It has these minions along with it. Something is supposed to happen after all the minions are killed, but I had to get out of there before I could find out what."

He couldn't believe his eyes. _But... but she told me she wasn't interested! Why is she here?!_

* * *

By the time the first meeting was over, it was night. Haruhi sat alone on a bench in town, eating a sandwich.

"Haruhi!"

Her ears perked at the familiar voice.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki ran over to her. "Haruhi, what are you doing here?!" He hugged her tightly, causing her to drop her sandwich.

"Tamaki-senpai, let me go. People are looking at us funny," Haruhi said.

He let go. "I thought you said you weren't interested in playing _SAO_!"

"Curiousity killed the cat, I guess," was Haruhi's response.

Tamaki sat down next to her. "Well, you shouldn't have started playing! Look what's happening now!"

"I know, Senpai! But how the hell was I supposed to anticipate something like _this_?"

"Well... I, uh... um..."

"Exactly. No one saw this coming. Except for Kayaba, of course." She looked down at where her sandwich had been. It had timed out, so it was gone. "Great... now I have to get a new sandwich."

"I can get you one!" Tamaki said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! I'm pretty sure I have enough..." He looked in his inventory. "Wait... this much I was saving for new weapons... and that for some crystals... Oh. I guess I don't have enough."

"Wait a minute." Haruhi chuckled. "Did you just say you don't have enough to buy a _sandwich_?"

Tamaki suddenly felt embarrassed. "I-it's different here! Don't throw the real life stuff at me in here!"

"Does this mean I can call you 'poor' now?" Haruhi asked.

"NO! No you can NOT call me poor!"

Haruhi was still laughing.

"Hey! You wouldn't even be here if I hadn't gotten the nerve gear for you!" Tamaki said.

Haruhi stopped laughing and sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter... we both ended up in the same messed up situation anyway..."

Tamaki sighed. "You're right..."

Haruhi stood up. "I'm gonna head back to the inn. I'll see you tomorrow during the boss raid?"

"You bet!"

Haruhi smiled. "Okay. Well, night, Tamaki-senpai." She turned around and walked away.

The truth was, Haruhi had been hoping and praying that Tamaki hadn't put on the nerve gear that day. That he wouldn't have to be stuck in here too.

"Damn it," Haruhi said to herself before going to sleep, "It's your damn fault we're in here, Senpai..."

* * *

Tamaki and Haruhi ended up in a party together, since they knew no one else at the meeting. They were walking along with the rest of the raid in the forest on the first floor.

"Have you been playing solo this entire time?" Tamaki asked her.

"Yeah. I've been in parties before, but I've never joined a guild," Haruhi responded.

"I've never been in a guild, either!" Tamaki said.

Haruhi sighed. "Anyway, since we were assigned to attack the minions, I was thinking: first, you should get a few, then we switch and I get a few, then-"

"Um..." Tamaki said, a small panic rising within him. "W-what's a switch?"

Haruhi stopped in her tracks. "You don't know what a switch is?"

"Is it important?"

"If you ever want to be in a party, then yes." Haruhi sighed. "Let's keep going. I'll explain it along the way."

* * *

 _Coming up: The boss raid begins..._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: HELLO EVERYONE! I'm not the best at action scenes, but I'll do my best :) Also the chapter is kinda short but yeah...  
**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own** _ **Ouran High School Host Club**_ **or** _ **Sword Art Online**_ **. I only own kind of own the plot.**

* * *

Chapter Three: Solo Player

By the time Haruhi finished explaining to Tamaki what a 'switch' was, they had gotten to the doors leading into the boss room.

"Listen up everyone, I've only got one thing to say to you," Diabel said. "Let's win!"

The doors opened. The boss sat on a throne-like seat, and opened his eyes as everyone piled inside.

"Illfang the Kobold Lord," Haruhi muttered to herself. She remembered the boss's name from the last raid attempt she was in.

The boss jumped off of his seat, and the minions appeared around him.

"COMMENCE ATTACK!" Diabel shouted. Everyone ran for the boss and the minions.

* * *

"Squads A and C, switch in!" Diabel shouted. "Here it comes; Squad B, block!" He pointed his sword. "Squad C, keep guarding and prepare to switch. "Everyone else, when you fall back, regroup and fight them. Squads D and F, keep those minions off us!"

"You got it!" Tamaki said, going after another minion. Then, reluctantly, he and Haruhi switched. He almost wasn't able to watch as Haruhi went after the minion.

But he had nothing to worry about, he quickly discovered, as Haruhi attacked the minions with speed and agility.

As soon as all the minions were killed, Diabel ran after the boss. "Stay back; I got this!" he yelled.

"Wait," Tamaki said, "Weren't we all supposed to attack together?"

"Yeah..." Haruhi responded.

The boss started jumping from wall to wall, confusing Diabel, thus making him vulnerable. The boss then attacked him, slashing him across the torso. His HP started to deplete quickly.

Tamaki ran over to Diabel. "What were you doing?!" He knelt by him.

Diabel looked over at him, then disappeared. He had died.

Tamaki wasn't sure what to do at first. His first instinct was to run away, and forget he had even attempted to defeat the boss. But he fought that instinct and stood up. He looked over at Haruhi as if to ask, "You coming along?"

She ran over to his side. "Let's do this," she said.

"Okay," Tamaki said. They started running toward the boss.

"Same way we got the minions?" Haruhi asked.

"Yeah," Tamaki answered.

So they attacked the boss. Tamaki attacked, then switched out with Haruhi. Tamaki was still amazed by how fast Haruhi's attacks were. He was too focused on watching her when the boss attacked _him_ , knocking him across the room.

"Senpai!" Haruhi ran over to him.

The other players, now inspired, started to attack. "You guys stay back until you get his HP back up," a player said to them. Tamaki and Haruhi nodded.

Once Tamaki was back to full health, he and Haruhi went to attack the boss again.

* * *

Finally, after what seemed like ages, the boss was defeated.

Haruhi was exhausted, kneeling on the floor as everyone else cheered. Tamaki went over to her. "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah... just tired..." she said. A notice popped up in front of her. "Huh? 'Last Attacking Bonus'...?"

"Good job, you guys!" someone said to them.

"Yeah!" someone else said, "You guys rock!"

Haruhi weakly stood up. Tamaki rushed to help her.

The doors to the next floor opened, and people started going inside.

"Hey," Haruhi said. She did something on her menu, causing something to pop up on Tamaki's menu.

"What's this? 'Coat of Midnight'?" Tamaki asked.

"I don't think a coat like that would look good on me, so... you have it," she said.

"Was this the thing that popped up for you?"

She nodded.

"Alright..." Tamaki selected the option to put the coat on. He looked down at himself. "Wow! You're right! This looks awesome on me! Thanks Haru- Haruhi?" Another notice on his screen popped up, saying "party disbanded".

"I'll see you around," Haruhi said as she started to walk away.

"Wait! You don't plan on playing solo, do you?!" Tamaki yelled after her.

She looked behind at him. "I'll just see wherever this takes me. Whether that's playing solo, or joining a guild. See you."

Before Tamaki could object again, Haruhi teleported out of the room.

* * *

 _Coming up: Tamaki joins a guild, but a terrible tragedy hits..._


End file.
